Life Begins at ... 35?

Katzen

Hi Tete,
I've been reading but not posted in a while, sorry. You sound like you're cracking on really well though, good work.
About the Spanish class thing, have you tried setting a limit to your planning? Mine has been forced by having a baby but I have now realised that it is possible to plan lessons in far less time than I used to give it if you really have to.

Tete_en_l'Air

Hello, thanks for all the comments and chat!

Faceless Number - I love crochet! Yes I taught myself about five or six years ago - look for youtube videos rather than books and try to find UK ones if possible as UK and US terminology is different. It took me a while to get neat, but once you get the hang of how to hold the hook it'll all fall into place. I can easily pick up new stitches now and have even experimented a bit with amigurumi. It's such a good hobby for lazy evenings in front of the TV - you can still feel like you're being productive! If you haven't already found it, I highly recommend the Attic24 website for inspiration. I fancy doing her Moorland blanket crochet-a-long (CAL) in the new year.

Hi Bumblebear, thanks for coming out of lurkdom! I've only put up one set of blinds with the NMN so far, but they're the ones at the French doors so they're twice as long as window blinds (they're vertical blinds). Seem very solid so far! (ZTD, if they fall down at a later date then que sera sera, I'll have to sort it then.)

Thankfully I don't get the sinus problems that much, and I'm not sure I'd be willing to snort anything to be honest :eek:

Yes lots of people talk about the benefits of weights alongside running and I can certainly see why. I'm out at the moment, I've had a niggly piriformis for about six months and I'm trying to sort it properly because I want to get back into my running in the new year and see some improvements. After doing 13 half marathons for Cancer Research in 2015, 2016 has been a bit of a 'fallow year'! I do yoga weekly and this week we did pigeon pose for the first time and it really hit the spot so I've been doing that at home, but now I'm starting to feel my hip flexor so need to get that sorted now... I am a member of the gym, I just need to get my @rse in gear and actually go

ZTD - the fireplace is definitely wood and no it's not a glassy French style polish but it's very dark stained and smooth and shiny. I bought a liquid sander, I think I already mentioned this, hopefully it'll just take enough off to give some key so I can paint.

Katzen - I wish I was the kind of person who could set a limit to planning but unfortunately I'm the kind of person who will use as much time as is available to make it as good as possible. That's why I was so miserable as a full time teacher, I never got any sleep! It would take having a baby or similar for me to cut down my time too. I think boss will be fine with me quitting because I don't know if there are enough students continuing to warrant two classes anyway. It was a nice thing to be part of but not something for long term.

MrsTinks

poddle911 wrote: »

I've just been reading a book on living more Danishly after seeing the author giving a talk about it and one of the things that struck a chord was about how important our surroundings are - especially in a very cold climate when you stay at home for hours/days at a time - and why they feel OK about spending £400 on a designer Danish light fitting (:eek:) Most of the positives only seemed possible if you actually move to Denmark... Anyway, it was a fairly good read and I'm definitely on board with eating pastries and getting 'hygge', but I just don't call it that!

Now I AM danish so I'd like to think I'm a mildly experienced in this subject matter - but I haven't read any books on it

Danes are honestly not that different from you Brits LOL This hygge concept is baffling most of us as to why you're all feeling this is the nirvana to happiness LOL "hygge" just happens. You don't buy it, or strive for it as such. It's an atmosphere that you have either on your own, with friends or with family.

As for the light-fittings - I know the exact ones you're on about. They're by a specific designer and many homes have one or more and often you would find they got given as a wedding present as they were so expensive! They also LAST. I don't know that I would say I feel OK spending £400 on one but given that people hang on to them then 20-30 years of light at £400 is less than £20 a year and they hold their value when you resell them

I'm curious about what danishness you can only achieve by moving there? :cool: Other than the food choices and my beloved liquorice!

Tete_en_l'Air

Ahh MrsTinks, thanks for your point of view! It's interesting that you think we're similar kinds of people... I do think the Hygge thing is overhyped to the point of meaninglessness (a bit like Keep Calm And Add Absolutely Any Phrase Here a couple of years ago), but I'd be interested to read A Year of Living Danishly to find out a bit more. Do we think that in the UK, if the weather is bad we tend to get miserable about it whereas in Denmark they embrace and enjoy it? If that's the case then I was born on the wrong side of the North Sea!

Katzen

Hi Tet, I know what you mean about lessons taking as much time as you've got, I used to spend hours on work including evenings and weekends. It's been a real blow to my confidence having to adjust to simply not having that time. I've actually been referred to a therapist to help me work through it. It's a work in progress but I'm moving towards being ok with 'the best I can do in the time I've got'. It would maybe be more understandable if I used to be outstanding, but I certainly wasn't that so I don't even know why I feel so guilty about it! I refuse to Miss time with my son though so I will find a way to either get over it or get out!

ZTD

MrsTinks wrote: »

I'm curious about what danishness you can only achieve by moving there? :cool:

Well Danish childhood is getting a lot of press both good and bad...

MrsTinks wrote: »

Other than the food choices and my beloved liquorice!

So how is the liquorice different?

MrsTinks

ZTD wrote: »

Well Danish childhood is getting a lot of press both good and bad...



So how is the liquorice different?

I shall have a read of that - a Danish childhood... hmmmmok so we let babies sleep outdoors even in winter, houses are pretty cosy in winter but many houses don't have carpets and opt for hard floors which means we learnt what slippers are for lol

And the liquorice? Well for starters there is a lot more of it and it's usually pretty salty 😂 Ok VERY salty! Now I want liquorice! Thank goodness my mum is coming over in a few weeks! 🤔

MrsTinks

Tete_en_l'Air wrote: »

Ahh MrsTinks, thanks for your point of view! It's interesting that you think we're similar kinds of people... I do think the Hygge thing is overhyped to the point of meaninglessness (a bit like Keep Calm And Add Absolutely Any Phrase Here a couple of years ago), but I'd be interested to read A Year of Living Danishly to find out a bit more. Do we think that in the UK, if the weather is bad we tend to get miserable about it whereas in Denmark they embrace and enjoy it? If that's the case then I was born on the wrong side of the North Sea!

I think we complain about the weather less... we're that bit better prepared for winter but I doubt we're hardy. It's just that being tied so closely to Norway and Sweden who have PROPER winters we don't think we have a right to moan too much maybe?

I think hygge is not far of the old "have a cuppa" thing... sitting down over a cuppa in a kitchen would be "hyggeligt" 😊

bellaboo86

Wow! What a lot to endure. Did you pass your NQT year? If so could you do day supply rather than long term to tide you over until you find something else?

poddle911

Tete_en_l'Air wrote: »

Ahh MrsTinks, thanks for your point of view! It's interesting that you think we're similar kinds of people... I do think the Hygge thing is overhyped to the point of meaninglessness (a bit like Keep Calm And Add Absolutely Any Phrase Here a couple of years ago), but I'd be interested to read A Year of Living Danishly to find out a bit more. Do we think that in the UK, if the weather is bad we tend to get miserable about it whereas in Denmark they embrace and enjoy it? If that's the case then I was born on the wrong side of the North Sea!

Sorry to hijack your thread with this, Tete! I would lend you the book but I dropped it in the bath. (Ugh, I hated the Keep Calm and ... ... trend!)

MrsTinks wrote: »

Now I AM danish so I'd like to think I'm a mildly experienced in this subject matter - but I haven't read any books on it

Danes are honestly not that different from you Brits LOL This hygge concept is baffling most of us as to why you're all feeling this is the nirvana to happiness LOL "hygge" just happens. You don't buy it, or strive for it as such. It's an atmosphere that you have either on your own, with friends or with family.

I'm curious about what danishness you can only achieve by moving there? :cool: Other than the food choices and my beloved liquorice!

Really interesting to hear your input, Mrs Tinks! I think we're pretty similar really and I do love the concept of hygge, but Tete's right - everyone loves a trend, particularly if they can use it to sell books and £70 candles...

I do think there are certain philosophies (Danish or otherwise) that contribute to happiness and general wellbeing, but a lot of the 'happiness' she refers to the book seems to come from the Danish way of life and specifically the welfare system - eg, shorter working hours, free education and healthcare, paid maternity and paternity leave, living wage, funded re-training and two years' redundancy pay, the lowest gap between high and low earners... That's why I suggested moving there would be the only way to benefit!

However, something I did find really interesting was the idea that 'trust and confidence' makes people happy and something that feels significant in these divided political times - this might be a simplistic assumption, but in the book the author says that though Danish taxes are horrendously high, people don't resent it because they have complete confidence that the system will provide for them if/when they need it and they trust the government to act in the best interests of the people. One of the lowest levels of corruption in the world - it sounds like nirvana to me!

Alas, your liquorice does not fare well :rotfl:

Ah jeez, Tete, I did it again - sorry Keep up all the good work, and get your butt to the gym - my OH has started weight training this year and it's made a massive different to his running. He is starting triathlons next year... X